The+River+-+Studio+Sessions

include component="page" page="content_legendott" wrap="1" code Commercially Released: October 17, 1980 Produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau and Steve Van Zandt Recorded between March 1979 and May 1980 at The Power Station (New York City) Recorded by Neil Dorfsman except The Ties That Bind (by Bob Clearmountain) and Drive All Night (by Jimmy Iovine) Mixed at Clover Recording Studios (Los Angeles) by Toby Scott and Chuck Plotkin except Hungry Heart (by Bob Clearmountain) code Part One - The River Sessions Overview

"//The River// was a record that was sort of a gateway to a lot of my future writing. It's a record we made after //Darkness on the Edge of Town//, it was a record made during a recession, hard times in the States. Its title song is a song I wrote for my brother-in-law and sister. My brother-in-law was in the construction industry and lost his job and they had to struggle very hard back in the late 70s, like so many people are doing today. It was a record where I first started to tackle men and women and families and marriage. There were certain songs on it that led to complete records later on, "The River" sort of led to the writing on //Nebraska//, "Stolen Car" led to the writing on //Tunnel of Love//. It was a record where, originally it was a single record, I handed it with just one record and I took it back because I didn't feel it was big enough and I wanted to capture the themes that I'd been writing about on //Darkness//, I wanted to keep those characters with me and at the same time added the music that made our live shows so much fun and enjoyable for our audience. So in the end, we're gonna take you down to The River tonight." //Bruce Springsteen introducing a complete performance of// The River //album, Madison Square Garden, November 8, 2009.//

Springsteen finished the //Darkness On The Edge Of Town// tour on January 1, 1979. For the next few months he kept a low profile and focused his attention on composing new material for his next album, recording many acoustic solo demos in the process, information on which can be found on the 1979 Solo Demos page. Recording sessions for what became //The River// album began in late March 1979 and finished in May 1980 - but were to some extent extended into August due to Springsteen & The E Street Band’s involvement with Gary US Bonds on his April 1981 album //Dedication.//

All formal studio sessions (including the US Bonds sessions) took place at The Power Station in New York City. However there were extensive song rehearsal sessions (Thom Zimny's //The Ties That Bind// documentary states that 104 band demos were created during this time) with the E Street Band throughout the making of the album that didn't take place at The Power Station. These rehearsals took place in a converted barn on Springsteen’s Telegraph Hill Road property in Holmdel, NJ – the so-nicknamed "Telegraph Hill Studios". However it wasn't a true studio. A significant amount of the River session audio that has surfaced comes from these Telegraph Hill sessions. Unfortunately the audio quality from Telegraph Hill leaves much to be desired. It sounds as if a single boom recording mike was used. Springsteen’s vocals are buried under the instruments on virtually all these recordings.

According to engineer Neil Dorfsman about fifty songs were recorded to a completed state during the //River// sessions. //The Ties That Bind// documentary gives us a figure of fifty-three songs. However //The River//, despite being a double album only included twenty songs, so about thirty-three finished songs remained in the vaults. Twenty-seven of those thirty-three "missing" recordings have since been officially released via b-sides, //Tracks,// //The Essential Bruce Springsteen, The River: Single Album// and //The River: Outtakes.// Information culled from Sony's studio logs gives us another nine songs that were definitely recorded in the studio, but perhaps not to completion. This figure includes several songs that were recorded with a Springsteen vocal but later given to Gary U.S. Bonds. These nine songs are either not circulating at all (such as "Do You Want Me To Say Alright" and "I Will Be The One"), or only as poorly recorded band rehearsals from Telegraph Hill (e.g. "Under The Gun"). All this gives us the following list of sixty-eight songs which includes a total of fifty-three from this period that were recorded or are most likely to have been recorded and completed during The River/Bonds sessions. Some of the studio session detail below is courtesy of Clinton Heylin's book //E Street Shuffle - The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band.//

Part Two - The River Sessions Details

The studio sessions for //The River// can be broken down into two "phases". Phase One was from late March to late August 1979 and it produced a projected single album – "The Ties That Bind". There was then an informal break of three to four weeks, during which Bruce and the band gave a benefit performance for MUSE on September 21 and 22. Following that MUSE benefit gig the original album was scrapped and then Phase Two (not originally planned) commenced in October and went through to the summer of 1980. The combined sessions produced the double album //The River// that was released in October 1980. code PHASE ONE OF THE RIVER SESSIONS (March thru early September 1979) Those titles marked with an hash (#) are Telegraph Hill band rehearsal recordings, not Power Station recordings. Songs below listed in rough chronological order, beginning with songs that were rehearsed with the band in late March but not taken to the studio. code Note: Two different performances, both from the Telegraph Hill rehearsals in late March 1979. A gem, but never recorded at The Power Station. Note: Two different performances, both from a Telegraph Hill rehearsal in late March 1979. According to studio logs, not recorded at The Power Station. This track is a rewrite of the track "Tonight", known from the October 26, 1978 rehearsal. Note: Five different performances, all from Telegraph Hill rehearsals. The first four probably date from late March 1979, V5 also dates from that time but is perhaps slightly more polished. According to studio logs, not recorded at The Power Station. This track recycles the main riff from 1977's "Don't Say No". Note: V1 thru V7 are all different performances from the Telegraph Hill rehearsals on March 25, 1979. V8 is from around the same time, and is listed as "Untitled Song #3" on disc two of 'The Definitive River Outtakes Collection Volume 2'. Bootlegged as "In The City Tonight", also known as "In The City", and titled "Meet Me In The City Tonight" on Springsteen's handwritten lyric sheet. According to studio logs the song was not recorded at The Power Station, but "Meet Me In The City" was officially released online on October 16, 2015 to accompany the announcement of //The Ties That Bind: The River Collection//, released on December 4, 2015. The inclusion of both Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici in the credits suggests that some of the backing music was recorded during sessions for //The River// (along with Bruce's count-in), but the lead vocal was recorded in 2015. Since the song was not completed during the //River// sessions, it seems likely that at least some of the backing music is modern. Note: From the Telegraph Hill rehearsals on March 30, 1979. Resurrected nearly a year later; it was recorded in the studio at The Power Station on February 17, 1980 and it's that recording which can be found on //The River: Outtakes// CD. Note: Hard rocking number from a Telegraph Hill band rehearsal, probably from late March 1979. Intro guitar riff is pure "Trouble River", and there's a guitar solo very reminiscent of "Roulette". Unfortunately Bruce's voice is buried in the music, making it very hard to hear lyrics. As such the actual title is unknown, but "We Talk" and "Talk Talk" are possibilities. Bruce exclaims "wow!" at the conclusion of the song. Note: Upbeat song from a band rehearsal, probably from late March 1979, which is an evolution of a solo demo recorded in early 1979. A recording of this demo can be found on 'Lost Masters IX', titled "Love Will Get You Down". As is typical with the Telegraph Hill recordings Bruce's voice is buried in the music making it hard to identify lyrics, but the lyric "Love Won't Let You Down" does not appear anywhere in this rehearsal. Based on what can be heard, "Love Will Be The Name" or "Love Will Be The Game" are possible titles, but a handwritten document from the //River// sessions includes the title "Love Won't Let You Down". Therefore it is possible that the actual title for this song is "Love Won't Let You Down", despite the lack of that phrase in the lyrics. A well-developed and practiced song, it's feasible that the song was subsequently recorded in the studio. although no songs with potentially matching titles exist in the studio logs. There is no relation between this song and "My Love Will Not Let You Down". Note: Upbeat, rockabilly-style song from a Telegraph Hill band rehearsal, probably from late March 1979. As with all the Telegraph Hill material the lyrics are buried in the music, but possible titles are "Walk You Through The Door" or "Charlie Miles". Running time above includes several takes, most incomplete. Resembles the March/April 1981 solo demo of "Party Lights" found on CDs 'Fist full Of Dollars' and 'How Nebraska Was Born'. Note: V1 is an incomplete take with double-tracked lead vocals and a slower tempo. The lyrics show some variations to later versions. The take was probably aborted since the recording fades out during the guitar solo. V2 and V3 are two different recordings, both recorded on April 3, 1979, just days after the March 28 Three Mile Island nuclear accident that inspired the song. This was the first song completed at the //River// sessions and one of Bruce and the band's greatest studio achievements, conceived, written and completed in only a matter of days. V2 contains some interesting alternate words and many consider it to be even more powerful than the stunning officially available versions. V3 is circulating in six different mix variations, and several other mixes with imperceptible differences also exist in private collections. The //Tracks// mix features more snare drum but less guitar than the mix found on the 1988 b-side to "One Step Up". Bruce states in his autobiography that "Roulette" was recorded shortly after the MUSE benefits of September 21 and 23, 1979, but all evidence, including previous statements, indicate he is mistaken, and the April 3 date is correct. Note: V1 is a rehearsal take from Telegraph Hill sometime late March 1979. The vocals are buried beneath the music, even by the standards of other Telegraph Hill recordings. V2 is closer to the released version than V1 and better quality, with some lyrical variation in the final verse. V3 (three different mixes) was recorded at The Power Station on April 10-11, 1979. Further work was undertaken on April 10, 1980. Collectors should note the version performed during soundcheck at the Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ on September 20, 1978 shares some lyrics with the finished article but is otherwise completely different with some searing guitar work. Three band rehearsals from October 26, 1978 prior to the band going back on tour for the final leg of the Darkness Tour also circulate. Springsteen injured his leg in an off-terrain vehicle accident a few days after "The Ties That Bind" was cut at the Power Station, which delayed further studio sessions to the middle of May 1979. Note: Initially written in 1972 and recorded in a solo piano arrangement in January 1973, but this is a full-band take in an apparent rehearsal setting. There has been confusion about the source of this particular recording for some time. It was originally considered to have been an outtake from //Darkness On The Edge Of Town//, and then from the October 1978 rehearsal session in Holmdel, NJ. Given the evidence (including audio not circulating), we can confirm it is a Telegraph Hill rehearsal from May 1979. The quality of the private audio is far superior to that found on the 'Definitive Darkness Outtakes' or 'Iceman' CDs, and includes the count-in and runs at the correct speed. Included on a very early tracklist for the upcoming album. Warren Zevon has said that he became obsessed with the title line after Jon Landau mentioned it along with other songs that Springsteen was intending to record. Zevon pestered Bruce, pleading to hear the song. He ended up working on his own version of the song, his interpretation of "Jeannie Needs A Shooter" (he had misheard the name), and played an incomplete version to Bruce sometime in the Spring of 1979. Springsteen loved the arrangement, and they wrote the remainder of "Jeannie Needs A Shooter" together. The Zevon/Springsteen version is "a romantic saga of an outlaw pursuing a maiden while her father tries to gun him down," the opposite of Springsteen's original. Zevon's studio take of "Jeannie Needs A Shooter" from the //Bad Luck Streak// album was recorded during the summer of '79. Note: a rehearsal workout at Telegraph Hill in May 1979. Mis-dated in the Lost Masters IV liner notes. Studio logs indicate it was never recorded at The Power Station. Note: Recorded at The Power Station on May 22, 1979. Springsteen would return to this track in Phase Two of the sessions, in February and April of 1980 and it's that recording he used for //The River//. Therefore, it's possible this is a completely different arrangement to the album version. Note: V1 thru V4 were recorded on the same night at The Power Station on May 29 and 30, 1979 and are takes #12 (the last take of the night), #11, #9 and #3 respectively. These four takes feature a completely different, faster, rocking arrangement with alternative lyrics to both the 1978 live versions and the eventual //River// release. The mid-section includes a searing guitar solo. V5, which contains a newly written, extended narrative middle section, was recorded some months later, possibly on August 23 and 25, 1979 but perhaps as late as the final stages of the sessions in 1980. Studio logs show further work was undertaken on February 16, 1980. Note: V1 thru V6 are different performances from the Telegraph Hill rehearsals on May 14, 1979. V7 is another Telegraph Hill rehearsal, probably from May 16, 1979. The September 16, 1979 date in the Lost Masters IV liner notes is certainly an error. V8 (four different mixes) was recorded at The Power Station on May 30, June 1 and July 13, 1979. Two weeks after this song was recorded Springsteen would appropriate the lyrics for another song, "Little White Lies". Note: Two different performances, both from the Power Station. Takes were recorded May 31, June 21 and September 24, 1979. The May 31 take was used for //Tracks//. Note: Outstanding song, recorded at The Power Station on June 1 (V1) and 13, 1979. Also known by the title "White Lies" or "Don’t Do It To Me", it appears on the studio logs as "Little White Lies". In the lone circulating bootleg version (V1) the song uses the lyrics of "Mary Lou". By the middle of July these lyrics would be used for a third song, "Be True". The officially released V2 (probably recorded June 13) drops the "Mary Lou" lyrics, replacing the first two verses with lyrics also found in the first two verses of "Loose Ends". The third and fourth verses contain lyrics unique to "Little White Lies". Both vocal and backing appear to be vintage. The introduction seems to be lifted straight from "Paint It Black". Prior to its release Max Weinberg spoke of this song in interviews, saying it is a personal favourite and hopes for it to be released one day. Note: Originally recorded in September 1977 during the recording sessions for //Darkness On The Edge Of Town//. All of the above are mix variations of different vocal takes over the same basic recording. There is also some variation in tape speed. V1c is an overdub of Springsteen's guitar over the instrumental ending, V1i is several variations of Clarence's overdubbed saxophone, also over the instrumental ending. Recorded at The Power Station on June 12, 1979. Further recordings or mixing sessions (possibly overdubs) took place on August 27 and September 5, 1979, as well as much later in the sessions on April 4 and 19, 1980. Selected for an August 1979 album sequence. Note: V1-3 are from Telegraph Hill rehearsals on March 30, 1979. V3 is a short take of just the end of the song. Tremendous song. The two full rehearsal takes both have lyrical variations but V2 is closer to the final take, presumably recorded some time after V1. V4 recorded in the studio at The Power Station on June 13 and July 5, 1979. The song title on an early handwritten lyric sheet was "Time". Appeared on an early sequence for //The Ties That Bind// and included on a 1993 in-house Tracks "concept album". Bumped off //The River// by the title track. The officially released V4 found on //The River: Outtakes// CD appears to be an entirely vintage recording. Note: V1-V5 are different performances from the Telegraph Hill rehearsals. V1 thru V4 are probably from late March 1979. V2 is a partial take of an instrumental section. V3 is Bruce and Clarence working on the saxophone solo. V4 is a complete take (running faster than V1-3 and V5) that for some reason is listed as "Untitled Song #2" on E. St. Records' 'Definitive River Outtakes Collection Vol 2'. V5 is from March 30, 1979. Another stirring song. V6 was recorded in the studio at The Power Station on June 13, 1979 and is slower than the rehearsals with a "Because The Night"-style piano introduction. Backing appears to be vintage, but the vocal is modern. Included on a 1993 in-house //Tracks// "concept album". Note: Resurrected from the //Darkness On The Edge Of Town// sessions. V1 & V2 are band performances from Telegraph Hill rehearsals on May 14, 1979. V3 is an early alternate take from the Power Station. V4 recorded at The Power Station on June 13, 1979. Included on a very early tracklisting for the album. Note: Apparently penned after Joey Ramone asked Bruce to write a song for the Ramones after he attended a Ramones show at The Fast Lane in Asbury Park in March 1979 - this may be apocryphal. In any case, Springsteen has confirmed that it was written with the Ramones in mind, and was considering giving the song away. He played it for Jon Landau, who convinced Bruce to keep it for himself. The eight takes listed above all appear to be different mixes of the same basic performance that are also running at varying tape speeds. The version released on //The River// has been pitch adjusted, raising the pitch of Springsteen's vocal to achieve a more radio friendly sound. V1a is the backing track only. V1f has heavy echo added to Springsteen's vocal. Recorded at The Power Station on 14 and 21 June and September 5, 1979 with further mixing or overdub sessions on March 24 and April 10, 1980. Flo & Eddie (Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan of the Turtles) contribute backing vocals. Note: V1-V5 are different performances from the Telegraph Hill rehearsals on March 30, 1979. V6 recorded at The Power Station on June 14, 1979. Included on a 1993 in-house //Tracks// "concept album". Note: Uncirculated outtake, recorded at The Power Station on June 14, 1979. Included on a //Tracks// concept compilation in 1993. Could be an alternative title for "Meet Me In The City", and would explain why that song is absent from the studio logs. Note: Three different performances. All three versions recorded on June 15, 18, 19 and 21, 1979. V1 and V2 contain an alternative third verse not found on the released version. Springsteen would use this alternative verse when performing the song during the River Tour. All versions since 1981 have used the original album lyrics. Many consider V2 to be the definitive studio take, with some justification. Further recording or mixing sessions took place on April 4, 1980. Note: V1 is longer, containing three additional verses and is the most interesting of all these. All recorded during June 1979. V4 recorded on June 20 and 21, 1979 according to the studio logs, in contrast with July 26 quoted in the //Tracks// liner notes. Despite the song being completed at this point Bruce, seemingly unsatisfied, decided months later to radically alter the musical arrangement. The session history/details for the "revised" version of "Stolen Car" can be found in the Phase Two Session listings below. The release of //The River: Single Album// was the first time the two arrangements were differentiated, with the original arrangement given the title "Stolen Car (Vs.1)". V4a and V4b have slightly different mixes. Note: Recorded at The Power Station on June 27, 1979. Bruce would return to this song during Phase Two of the sessions, and it is not known which recording can be found on //The River: Outtakes//. Not included on any //Tracks// shortlist. Vocal is vintage, backing may contain some modern elements. Note: Recorded at The Power Station on July 5 and 11-12, 1979 with further sessions on April 12 and May 6-7, 1980. These are all mix variations with different vocal takes over the same basic recording, with some significant tape speed variations. Note: V3 recorded July 16, 1979. V1 and V2 also recorded around this time. Similarly arranged versions, with some slight lyric differences between each. Selected for (and later removed from) August 1979 and April 1980 album sequences. Differences between V1a and V1b are imperceptible, aside from a slight change to the count-in. Note: Two different performances, both recorded at The Power Station on July 16-17, 1979. Both are excellent. Prior to the release of //The River: Single Album// this was the only unreleased //River// session composition that circulated among collectors in finished form and in excellent quality. Included on //The Ties That Bind// and received further attention in April 1980 (it was also included on an album shortlist around this time), but still didn't make //The River//. V1a features double-track vocals, V1b has the double-track vocals as well as Clarence providing harmonies. Titled "Cindy's Delicate Condition" on a handwritten lyric sheet. Note: Recorded at The Power Station on July 18, 1979. V1 described as "mix #1, original vocal and original sax" by the engineer. This is a rougher vocal with some slight differences in the phrasing and very minor changes to the lyrics. This take has no overdubs, such as the double-track vocals found in V2. There are three different mixes of V2, all are the same basic recording. The guitars are higher in Bob Clearmountain's 1979 (V2b) mix in comparison to the 1980 mix found on //Tracks// which is more keyboard focused. Later evolved into "Baby I'm So Cold", an outtake from //Born In The USA//. Titled "Loose End" on //The River: Single Album//. Lyrics from "Loose Ends" can also be found in "Little White Lies". Note: Evolved from "Mary Lou" and early versions of "Little White Lies". Recorded at The Power Station on July 18, 1979. These are all different mixes of the same basic recording. A mixing or overdub session took place on April 22, 1980. Included on an April 1980 shortlist for the double-album.
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//**TIMELINE**: By early August 1979 enough quality material had been recorded over the course of the previous four months that it seemed possible an album might be released for Christmas 1979. A total of twenty-four songs had been recorded, according to The Ties That Bind documentary. However, the information we can glean only leads us to a total of twenty-two, so two more may be undocumented in the studio logs. Ten of those twenty-four tracks were selected and sequenced as follows:// //However, Springsteen continued to record and tinker with the album sequence. Four further songs (including "The River") were recorded in August and early September.//
 * Side one ............................................. ||
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Note: Recorded at The Power Station on August 20 and 21, 1979. Note: Two different arrangements exist. V1, which is done in rockabilly style, was recorded at The Power Station Studios on August 24-25, 1979. This arrangement was performed regularly on the Tunnel Of Love Express Tour in 1988 but not before and never since. V2, the arrangement found on //The River//, dates from Phase Two of the sessions, information on which can be found below. Note: Recorded at The Power Station on August 26 and 29, 1979. Both of the above versions are different mix takes of the same basic recording. The take found on //The River// adds vocalisations over the end coda, as well as other slight variations. Further work was undertaken on January 21 and April 12 and 24, 1980. Evolved from "Oh Angelyne", a solo demo recorded January-May, 1979. In an interview, engineer Neil Dorfsman says he recalls cutting several versions of the song, trying out different tempos and a more embellished rock 'n' roll arrangement. None of these alternative arrangements circulate, and it is not known whether they still even exist in the vaults. Note: Two slightly different mixes. Recorded at The Power Station on September 2, 1979.

//**TIMELINE**: By the second week of September Springsteen continued to tinker with a track sequence. "Ricky Wants A Man Of Her Own" and "The Man Who Got Away" had been replaced by "Cindy" while "The River" and "Loose Ends" were added and then removed. Before long "Ramrod" was cut, "The River" and "Loose Ends" were reinstated and the rockabilly "You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)" was added. The ten tracks that Springsteen finally settled on were:// //Bruce signed off on the above sequence, a// //title ("The Ties That Bind") was chosen// //and wheels were put in motion to produce artwork for the cover. On October 4, 1979 the ten selected tracks were dubbed to two half-track reel-to-reel tapes at the Power Station, and labelled as side one and two. Producers were Springsteen, Van Zandt and Jon Landau, the album was recorded by Neil Dorfsman and Bob Clearmountain, and mixed by Bob Clearmountain. However, it wasn't to be. Before long, Springsteen had a change of heart about the album concept://

//"When I didn't put the album out in 1979 it was because I didn't feel that that [sense of conflicting emotions] was there. [In the end,] I felt ... I just got a bigger picture of what things are, of the way things work [with the double album] ... I wanted that all on there. [1981]//

//"After some recording we prepared a single album and handed it to the record company. When I listened to it later on, I felt that it just wasn't good enough. The songs lacked the kind of unity and conceptual intensity I liked my music to have ... / ... It wasn't expansive enough ... I wanted a record that balanced the two things I was doing [at that time], that had a sense of continuity coming out of Darkness." [1998/1999]//

//"It wasn't big enough. It wasn't sprawling enough. It didn't include enough. I'd gotten to the point where I wanted to include everything that I did, from the party material to my character studies, and I didn't think I could do that successfully on one album at that time. I didn't take it back with the intention of making two.... I just took it back with the intention of making it better." [2015]//

//Therefore, the single album ("The Ties That Bind") was shelved. Springsteen began a new series of studio sessions in October 1979, more songs flowed forth and the sessions continued well into the spring of 1980. At some point in early 1980 a decision was made to release a double album.//

code PHASE TWO OF THE RIVER SESSIONS (October 1979 thru May 1980) Those titles marked with an hash (#) are Telegraph Hill band rehearsal recordings, not Power Station recordings. code Note: Demoed at home in 1979 and recorded at The Power Station on October 8, 1979. The first track recorded at the Phase Two sessions. Vocal found in the official release is vintage, and includes lyrics also found in "Point Blank" and some which Springsteen would later use for his adaptation of Tom Waits' "Jersey Girl". Note: Two slightly different mixes. Recorded at The Power Station Studios on October 9, 1979. Note: These are all mix permutations of the same basic recording. Recorded at The Power Station Studios on October 11 and 12, 1979. Note: Originally recorded for //Darkness On The Edge Of Town//, cut several times during the latter parts of 1977. Bruce would re-record it for //The River//, recorded at The Power Station on May 29 and October 11, 1979 and late in the sessions on April 24 and 25, 1980. V1a is mix take #10, with slight alterations to the snare and vocal. V1b is the complete, uncut recording with the instrumental coda that was removed from the album version. Note: All three are different recordings from The Power Station. V1 (take #4) and V2 (take #6) are performed in the third person ("She's A Rocker") and date from late 1979. V3 is a later take that dates from 1980. V1 and V2 are rehearsal workouts at Telegraph Hill on November 15, 1979. The studio logs indicate this stunning song was never recorded at The Power Station. Note: V1 thru V3 are rehearsal workouts at Telegraph Hill on November 15, 1979. V4 recorded at The Power Station on December 7, 1979. Aspects of this song would later appear in //Nebraska's// "Open All Night" and "State Trooper". Note: Recorded at The Power Station on December 4 and 6, 1979 during the //River// sessions and donated to Gary U.S. Bonds. According to comments by Bonds, Bruce brought him this song as something from //The River// session arsenal that Bruce felt suited Bonds' style. It seems likely that Bonds overdubbed his vocal onto the E Street Band backing. Note: Two different recordings, although they're similarly arranged. V2 has some alternate lyrics in the last two verses. Backing track appears to have been recorded December 5, 1979 and Springsteen's vocal recorded at The Power Station on April 10, 1980. Note: V1 thru V7 are rehearsal workouts at Telegraph Hill on January 10, 1980. V8 thru V13 are rehearsal workouts from Telegraph Hill the following evening - on January 11, 1980. V14a and V14b and different mixes of the same performance recorded at The Power Station on January 14, 1980, with further work undertaken on April 12 and May 2, 1980. Included on an April 1980 shortlist for the double-album. Note: Based on a traditional Cajun waltz and adapted by Springsteen from Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys' 1947 recording. The song was a big hit for the first time in 1946 for Harry Choates, and again a year later for Moon Mullican. "Jole Blon" ("Pretty Blonde") was considered for the album once it became a two-LP set. All three performances are from the Telegraph Hill rehearsals on January 11, 1980. A Springsteen vocal rendition recorded at The Power Station in January 1980 exists. Premiered live June 5, 1981 at Wembley Arena in London, and played fairly regularly during the latter stages of the River Tour. Note: Dropping the rockabilly arrangement recorded in Phase One, Bruce would instead use the music from "Held Up Without A Gun". V2 is a Telegraph Hill rehearsal from January 11, 1980. V3 recorded at The Power Station on February 17 and 23, as well as April 1, 9 and 21, 1980. Note: V1 thru V9 are band rehearsal workouts at Telegraph Hill. V2 thru V9 were recorded on January 16, 1980 and feature revised arrangements from that of the version recorded and completed six months earlier (see Phase One listing above). V1 is an oddity - it features Bruce experimenting and singing the song over a pre-recorded tape of the band's January 10 Telegraph Hill rehearsal of "Restless Nights". The end result of all this was V10, which was recorded at The Power Station on January 21 and February 20, with further mixing or overdubs undertaken on April 1 and 9, plus May 9, 1980. Note: V1 is a rehearsal version from Telegraph Hill on January 16, 1980, which is interesting because it's done in a country arrangement. V2 was recorded at The Power Station Studios across three days on April 10-12, 1980. The last song recorded for the album. Note: Recorded at The Power Station on January 21, April 12 and April 24, 1980. Likely mixing or overdub sessions. See information in Phase One. Note: Uncirculated outtake, recorded at The Power Station on January 31 and February 1, 1980. A song called "William Davis" was recorded in May 1982 during the sessions for //Born In The USA//. Note: Recorded at The Power Station on February 1, 1980. Donated to Gary U.S. Bonds for his album //On The Line//, released in 1982. Bonds' likely overdubbed his vocal onto an E Street backing. A version with Springsteen's vocals was included on a 1993 in-house //Tracks// concept album. Note: V1 thru V6 are rehearsal workouts at Telegraph Hill on February 5, 1980. The studio logs indicate this song was never recorded at The Power Station as "Slow Fade", but it could be the uncirculated "I Will Be The One", which was recorded in the studio just eleven days after these rehearsals. Great song, unfortunately the lyrics are utterly buried under the music. The solo demo of "Slow Fade" recorded in late 1979 and found on The Lost Masters Essential Collection Vol. 1 is not related to this song, rather it is an early version of "Fade Away". This iteration of "Slow Fade" is not related to "Fade Away" in any respect. Note: Bruce returned to "Jackson Cage" after a full session of recordings in May 1979 (see V1 in Phase One above). V2 is a brief snippet that features Springsteen singing over a January 11, 1980 Telegraph Hill band rehearsal of "Restless Nights". V3 and V4 are rehearsal workouts of an alternative arrangement with different lyrics from Telegraph Hill on February 5, 1980. V5 was recorded at The Power Station on February 17 and March 10, 1980. Note: Originally recorded during the Phase One sessions, further work on this song was undertaken at The Power Station on February 16, 1980. Likely a mixing or overdub session. See information in Phase One. Note: Uncirculated outtake, recorded at The Power Station on February 16 and 26, 1980. Potentially the song bootlegged as "Slow Fade", see above. Considered for //Tracks//. Note: Recorded at The Power Station on February 16, March 9, 15 and 17, as well as April 9 and 26, 1980. These are all mix permutations of the same basic recording. V1b has less echo on lead vocal, V1c is take #47 with piano and guitar higher in the mix, V1d is described as "basic rundown take 2", V1e adds a siren and screeching tires to the introduction. Note: Previously rehearsed at Telegraph Hill in 1979, recorded at The Power Station on February 17, 1980. The age of the lead vocal is hard to pin down. It does not sound like a River-era vocal, but at the same time it doesn't sound like Springsteen's 2015 voice. Best guess for now is a 1998 vocal, recorded during overdub sessions for //Tracks//. Note: V1 thru V8 are rehearsal workouts at Telegraph Hill on February 22, 1980 (with Miami Steve on lead vocals on V4). V9a and V9b are different mixes of the same performance, recorded at The Power Station starting the following day, February 23 and April 1, 9, 20 and 21, 1980. Included on an April 1980 shortlist for the double-album. V9b first released as the B-side to "Hungry Heart" in 1980, re-released in 1985 on the 12" maxi single of "I'm Goin' Down", and again in 2015 on //The River: Outtakes// in average quality due to issues locating the studio masters. Recording found on //The Essential Bruce Springsteen// is a live cut, taped December 31, 1980 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. Note: V1 thru V8 are rehearsal workouts at Telegraph Hill on February 22, 1980. V9 was recorded at The Power Station on February 23 and 24, with further work undertaken on March 17 plus April 9 and 26, 1980. V9b is a different mix that lacks the double-tracked vocal found on the album. Note: This is merely a band warm-up exercise from Telegraph Hill on February 22, 1980. It's a cover of The Chantay's 1963 surf-instrumental, sometimes mistakenly listed as The Ventures "Walk Don't Run". Included here for completeness but this was never considered for the album. Note: An outtake from //Darkness On The Edge Of Town//, originally recorded in June/July 1977 and performed on that tour. These are alternate mixes of the same basic performance. V1a contains different party noises. Recorded at The Power Station on May 25, 1979 and February 23, March 8 and April 12, 1980. Note: Recorded at The Power Station on February 24, March 9 and April 10, 1980. Beautiful, brooding ballad with some potentially modern elements, but the main vocal is probably contemporary with the //River// sessions. Included on an April 1980 shortlist for the double-album. Note: An outtake from the //Darkness On The Edge Of Town// sessions. V1 is from early 1980, with Springsteen singing over what sounds like a pre-recorded band backing. V2 was recorded at The Power Station on February 24, March 8 and 16, as well as April 10, 1980. Springsteen is credited with the piano on this track. The only song from //The River// to be recorded by Jimmy Iovine, indicating that parts of "Drive All Night" (possibly the entire backing track) were recorded in 1977 during the //Darkness// sessions. Note: Recorded at The Power Station on March 9 and 15-17, as well as April 9 and 29, 1980. All appear to be different mix permutations of the same basic recording. V1a is described as "end tag intercut number two, dry voice fade, loud last line" by the engineer. V1b appears to be an aborted mix, "the take after the last one, 28". V1c is take #26, V1d is take #'27 with less piano. Note: Recorded at The Power Station on March 16, 1980. Previously recorded during Phase One of the sessions, on June 27, 1979, but it is not clear which recording is on //The River: Outtakes//. Not included on any //Tracks// shortlist. Vocal is vintage, backing may contain some modern elements. Note: A composite of home demos "You Gotta Be Kind" and "Mr. Outside". Demoed at home in early 1980 and recorded at The Power Station on March 16, 1980. At the very least the vocal is modern. Note: V1 and V2 are both early 1980 Telegraph Hill band rehearsals of the song in an embryonic form, sometimes noted by the alternate title "I'm Gonna Be There Tonight". V3 are all Power Station mix permutations of the same basic recording. Recorded March 21, 1980 – among the final batch of songs completed. Note: Instrumental. V1 officially released on //The River: Outtakes//, but there is no sign of "Paradise By The "C"" on the 1979-80 studio logs. The absence of a lead vocal and the distinct lack of recording information in the box makes it impossible to know when it was cut. There is no doubt that Clarence and Danny are in the mix which means it's not a 2015 recording. It could be a //River//-era recording despite its absence from the logs, and there is a slim possibility that it was cut during sessions for the //Tracks// box set in 1998. Note: Originally recorded during the Phase One sessions, further work on this song was undertaken at The Power Station on March 24 and April 10, 1980. Likely a mixing or overdub session, perhaps for Flo and Eddie's backing vocals. See information in Phase One. Note: Originally recorded during the Phase One sessions, further work on this song was undertaken at The Power Station on April 4 and 19, 1980. Likely a mixing or overdub session. See information in Phase One. Note: Originally recorded during the Phase One sessions, further work on this song was undertaken at The Power Station on April 4, 1980. Likely a mixing or overdub session. See information in Phase One. Note: Originally recorded during the Phase One sessions, further work on this song was undertaken at The Power Station on April 10, 1980. Likely a mixing or overdub session. See information in Phase One. Note: Originally recorded during the Phase One sessions, further work on this song was undertaken at The Power Station on April 10, 1980. Likely a mixing or overdub session. See information in Phase One. Note: Originally recorded during the Phase One sessions, further work on this song was undertaken at The Power Station on April 11-12, 1980. Likely a mixing or overdub session. See information in Phase One. Note: Originally recorded during the Phase One sessions, further work on this song was undertaken at The Power Station on April 11-12, 1980. Likely a mixing or overdub session. See information in Phase One. Note: Originally recorded during the Phase One sessions, further work on this song was undertaken at The Power Station on April 12 and May 6-7, 1980. Likely a mixing or overdub session. See information in Phase One. Note: Originally recorded during the Phase One sessions, further work on this song was undertaken at The Power Station on April 22, 1980. Likely a mixing or overdub session. See information in Phase One. Note: Recorded at The Power Station sometime July to August 1980 during sessions for Gary US Bonds. A Springsteen vocal rendition from these sessions is likely to exist. Note: Recorded at The Power Station sometime June to August 1980 during sessions for Gary US Bonds. A Springsteen vocal rendition from these sessions is likely to exist. Note: Known from circulating audio of a second leg //Darkness On The Edge Of Town// tour rehearsal at Telegraph Hill Studio on October 26, 1978. Unlikely to have been recorded during the River sessions since it was re-written as "Break My Heart", see info above. Note: Known from circulating audio of a second leg //Darkness On The Edge Of Town// tour rehearsal at Telegraph Hill Studio on October 26, 1978. There's no sign of this lovely Buddy Holly-ish song in the studio logs. Also known by the title "Wild Kisses".

Part Three - More Songs From The River Era

The following titles emanate from the 1979-80 era. The information is based on lyric sheets and other handwritten documents seen in Thom Zimny's //The Ties That Bind// documentary. It is unknown if these songs were ever recorded, or just standalone titles. Springsteen often creates song titles first and then attempts to write words and music around it - so the existence of a song title is no guarantee that a song was ever created. Two phrases seen in the film, "It's A One Drive-in Town" and "Young Punk" are likely examples of this. There is as yet no evidence these were completed songs (words and music) and for the majority no evidence they were recorded during any of the //River// sessions. If they do exist as recordings then they would most likely be either as work-in-progress home cassette recordings or from Telegraph Hill rehearsal sessions. It's also possible that some of these songs are alternative titles for other tracks that we are more familiar with. Note: Title seen twice in the film, once with lyrics. Note: Seen on a handwritten lyric sheet - includes the line "every shadow here in whitetown", suggesting some relation to "Whitetown". Note: Seen on a handwritten lyric sheet - perhaps developed into "Mansion On The Hill. Note: Handwritten sheet with very basic lyrics. Note: Handwritten lyric sheet with early lyrics. Note: Handwritten with lyrics - aside from the subtitle possibly not related to "The Man Who Got Away". Note: Handwritten lyric sheet. Initial title was "Waitin' For An Angel", Bruce added the second title later in a different pen colour. Note: #5 on a list of song titles, crossed out. Probably dates from early in the sessions since the list also includes a number of songs left over from the Darkness sessions and new songs performed on the Darkness Tour. Note: #8 on a list of song titles, crossed out. Note: #9 on a list of song titles, not crossed out. Also denoted "C" on a separate list on the same page. Perhaps developed into "My Love Won't Let You Down", recorded in 1982, or may be an evolution of a solo demo titled "Love Won't Get You Down" found on 'Lost Masters IX'. Search this page for "Love Will Be The Game" for more information. Note: "D" on a list of song titles. Note: "F" on a list of song titles. Maybe the Bruce Springsteen Band song "Band's Just Bopping The Blues", a.k.a. "Funk Song" or "Secret To The Blues", which use the same melody. Note: #4 on a list of six songs under the heading "Flips Sides". Possibly "Summer On Signal Hill".
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